title: Bacterial endocarditis at a small community hospital.
abstract: Clinical features, microbiology, and predisposing factors are described in 56 patients with bacterial endocarditis (BE) treated over a 12-year period at a small community hospital in Hawaii. The average age of patients was 52.0 years. The mean duration of symptoms was 28.8 days (range 1 to 240 days). Streptococci was the most frequently identified causative organism, present in 61% of the cases. Gram-negative bacilli were isolated from six patients (11%). Fourteen patients (25%) required cardiac surgery; the most common condition leading to surgery was severe valvular insufficiency, followed by congestive heart failure and recurrent embolism. Eighty-two percent of the patients in the series survived. The leading causes of death were congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular accidents.
authors.affiliation: Pacific Health Research Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Pien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006254:Hawaii; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008837:Micrococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications